Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team and Head Coach Peter Laviolette have agreed on a five-year contract. Laviolette led the Hurricanes to the 2006 Stanley Cup championship in his fourth season coaching in the National Hockey League.
“Peter’s coaching helped bring our team together to win hockey’s ultimate prize last season,” said Rutherford. “His aggressive, up-tempo style of play allows for success under the league’s new rules, and his leadership has yielded great results for his teams throughout his career.”

Two starting goalies and a pair of star forwards changed hands at the NHL entry draft this weekend but that's probably only the beginning.
The league's general managers got some quality face time with one another to lay the groundwork for more trades.
"That's usually what happens," said Jim Rutherford, GM of the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes. "I'm sure the seeds have been planted for future trades in the next two weeks."

...With teammate Wade Redden close to re-signing a two- or three-year deal worth about $6.25 million (all terms US) a season, Chara could be waiting to see exactly what Redden gets.
Chara has maintained he wants to return to the Senators and that the club is his No. 1 choice.
"We have spoken with Matt Keator and (Redden's agent) Don Meehan and we're going to speak with them again next week," said Muckler.
"I would say the best way to put it with both of these players is to say that we're progressing."

There are layers and nuances to every deal in the new National Hockey League and nowhere was that more apparent than in the Calgary Flames' acquisition of Alex Tanguay Saturday from their divisional rivals, the Colorado Avalanche.
On the surface, it was an outright steal. The Flames filled an offensive void by acquiring one of the league's most reliable scorers of the past half-dozen years. To get Tanguay, they gave up a useful defensive defenceman in Jordan Leopold, but one with a concussion history that they had little trouble replacing when he was out this past season because of injury.
So why would Colorado do the deal – and why would they do it with a team that they'll face eight times next season?
Simple economics, of course.

-What was your first thought when you got drafted?
Jonathan Toews
I'M HERE! It was a long road, especially with all the talk and predictions, but it's official now and it's good to be drafted by Chicago.
-Jiri, how did it feel to put on the official NHL jersey?
Jiri Tlusty
Toronto is a very good town and I'm glad to play with Tomas Kaberle. He is my friend and I'm thrilled to be joining him.
cody6
How did you feel hearing your name being called?
Jiri Tlusty
It warmed me deeply especially because it's Toronto.

The Islanders continued the trend of being the NHL's melting-pot franchise when they selected right wing Kyle Okposo with the seventh overall pick in Saturday's NHL draft.
Okposo (pronounced o-POS-o; the "k" is silent) is the son of a Nigerian father and white mother. His father, Kome, came to the United States in 1975 to attend college. He said he never even saw ice until he attended a hockey game at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.

Browsing the web this morning, I read a story about the Boston Red Sox. At the bottom of the story I read this-

Bruins' top draft pick Phil Kessell poses with team director of amateur scouting Scott Bradley, left, and another unidentified team official after being the fifth overall pick at the NHL Entry Draft in Vancouver Saturday.

It appears this story was the print version, so there is no picture available; which does happen occasionally while reading web stories. But I had a nice chuckle reading another unidentified team official and thought to myself- Aren't they all these days?
Boston continues to amaze me with the way the front office runs, or doesn't run.

Here’s a running diary of how the early part of the day went down:
1:00 p.m. – Arrive at GM Place two hours prior to start of draft, in preparation for rumored frenzy of wheeling and dealing.
2:00 – Combined totals of wheels and deals so far: 0.
2:30 – ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ…
3:11 – First signs of life from GM Place’s PA announcer – who, judging by the sound quality from ice level, is a blood relative of Charlie Brown’s teacher.

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